Women could be allowed to join the special forces, after ministers announced a review on letting female soldiers bear arms.

Philip Hammond MP, the defence secretary, said he wanted a person’s fitness, not their gender, to be the main reason of whether a soldier can fight in battle.

Current rules ban women soldiers in the infantry and armoured corp from bearing arms and Mr Hammond said he was worried that this was acting as a disincentive towards women soldiers joining up.

He told a Parliamentary Press Gallery lunch: “We have frankly a problem – there is a big gap between what our society looks like and what our armed forces look like. The image of the military I think is still a macho image, the last bastion of male chauvinism. The reality is very different.”

General Sir Peter Wall, the chief of the general staff, has now started an immediate review that will report back by Christmas.

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The last review, held in 2010, found women would be able to meet the physical and psychological standards required for close combat. The change, if it is accepted, will apply to the infantry and the armoured divisions, where female soldiers are not allowed to bear arms.

This would also mean that it would apply to special forces – such as the Special Air Service and Special Boat Service. Women soldiers serve in the Special Reconnaissance Regiment but not in the SAS and the SBS.

Women already serve on the front line with the artillery and as medics, engineers, intelligence officers and fighter pilots. The Royal Navy’s first female submariners are nearing the end of their training.

However, the 7,500 women serving in the army are banned from joining the infantry or the armoured corp.

Mr Hammond said he wanted Britain to follow the example set by “the Americans, the Australians, even the French” on allowing women soldiers to bear arms.

Mr Hammond said he did not “think there are thousands of women desperate to join the combat arms”. But he wanted to “send out a message” that the army was open to women to join across the board.

He added: “I don’t think it is so much about the number of women who will want to go in, or will be able to meet the fitness test.

“It is about the signal we send that all branches of the military are open regardless of gender. It will still be a requirement to meet fitness tests – so I think it is an important signal to send.”

There was no “no resistance among the senior military brass to the idea”, he said.

Mr Hammond said that the fitness requirements would not be reduced to make it easier for women to bear arms. He said: “I was with some engineers who were about to go out on an IED patrol in Afghanistan yesterday.

“They were having to carry 63 kilos each in essentially a combat situation – so we won't compromise on the fitness that we require for people to be able to keep themselves safe and do their job effectively.

“That will obviously mean that some roles will have limited numbers of women who are able to meet those criteria.”

Under European law Britain must review by 2018 its policy of preventing female soldiers from applying for certain jobs.

General Sir Peter Wall, Chief of the General Staff, said: “Our experience in Afghanistan has highlighted the increasingly important contribution women are making to operations.

"It is now sensible to review the Army’s approach to the employment of female soldiers in the combat arms of the Army: the Royal Armoured Corps and the Infantry.

"The key factor informing this judgement will be the delivery of operational effectiveness”.

The plans have been previously been criticised by Tory MPs. Richard Drax MP said in April: "No one doubts a woman’s commitment or professionalism but, ultimately, clearing an enemy position with bullet and bayonet should remain a man’s job."